


Break free

by liionne



Series: A thousand ways to meet [18]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prostitution, M/M, Prostitution, potential triggers at the end, some talk of child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-29 12:45:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1005613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liionne/pseuds/liionne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bones goes into prostitution, and Jim tries to get him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Break free

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, this is a work I started off loving and ended up hating.
> 
> I know it hits some pretty deep issues, so if you don't think I've handled them well or whatever then please feel free to tell me, and I'll fix it or change it or take it down or whatever.
> 
> Also, this is based on a prompt by Lucy (aren't they all?) so big thank you to her, and I hope this lived up to her expectations.
> 
> Unbeta'd, so there may be a few mistakes.

"I heard you were the best."

His eyes were red around the edges, his lips chapped and his fingers purple. He gave a thick swallow and looked down, hands curled around a mug of steaming coffee that he couldn't afford. He hadn't wanted to take the charity, but Jim had insisted.

"That's what they say." Jim took a sip of his coffee.

"So help me." He returned.

Jim sighed. "I'm not getting anyone into this, McCoy-"

"Not McCoy." He hissed.

Jim knew that Leonard McCoy was a successful doctor; he'd seen him in the paper when he was in Georgia once, on "business". It's no wonder he didn't want to use his real name.

Jim regarded him for a moment. "Alright, Bones-"

"Bones?" He raised an eyebrow.

Jim leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Look at the line of work you're looking to get into, and tell me that's not a good name."

It was a shock tactic that didn't work. Bones gave another thick swallow, dropped his eyes to the table, and then looked back up.

"Maybe you're right."

Jim sighed again.

"If you're sure about this, Bones, I can get you a meeting with Pike. He's the-"

"Pimp." Leonard finished for him.

Jim scowled. "We don't use that word around here Bones."

"Why not?" Bones raised an eyebrow, and Jim narrowed his eyes. "It's true isn't it?"

Jim continued to scowl. "Pikes a good man."

"I bet." Bones returned.

"Look," Jim snapped. He was only so pissy because he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. Three clients in and out the door meant busy work for him. "If you're gonna sit and moan this isn't the life for you. So I suggest you give me the money for that coffee and leave."

"You know I can't do that." Bones said quietly.

"Right." Jim nodded. They both paused, and then Jim gave a low sigh. "If you're sure you want this, then come here tonight at ten."

Jim pushed a slip of paper detailing an address on the crummier side of time across the table. With long fingers, Bones took it.

"I'll meet you outside." Jim finished.

Bones nodded. "Thank you."

Jim shook his head as he stood, pushing the remnants of his coffee in Bones' direction."Wrong answer."

~*~

Even though he'd been really hoping he wouldn't, Bones showed up absolutely perfectly on time.

Pike had directed them never ever to stand on street corners because they were classier than that (ha), but Jim stood there anyway, waiting for Bones to show. It was pitch black save for the light from a few of the working street lamps along the road, just illuminating his perfectly styled blonde hair (that wouldn't look so perfect at the end of the night), the black vest top that Pike said was tight enough to tempt but loose enough to intrigue, and those leather trousers that he was almost required by law (or lack of it, rather) to wear whenever he was working.

He looked sinful, and that was the idea.

Bones showed up in those jeans with holes in the knees that looked oddly (but not badly) tight, and he seemed to deflate a little when he saw Jim.

"Didn't think you'd show." Bones said, as he approached.

Jim, not wanting to linger, started heading back to HQ immediately, leading him along beside him. "Why not?"

"You seemed pretty dead set on me not doing this." Bones explained.

Jim gave him a long look as he walked, and shook his head. "I'm always dead set against _anyone_ getting into this. Don't think you're anything special."

Bones snorted. "I don't. That's why I'm here."

The words, surprisingly, stabbed a knife into Jim's heart, and twisted it just enough to make it hurt like hell.

~*~

"Pike, this is Bones."

"Bones?"

Jim just raised his eyebrows in response.

"Stand up." Pike ordered.

Bones' eyes flicked to Jim, who gave him a nod. He stood, and when Jim shrugged his shoulders, he took his jacket off.

Damn was he hot.

Pike looked him up and down, and circled him a few times. Pike's number one rule was that he would look, but never touch. He was good like that.

Good for a pimp, anyway.

"I don't know, Jim," Pike sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "He's a lot older than our others."

"More experienced." Bones said, raising his eyebrows.

Both men looked at him, but his gaze didn't move. He looked Pike right in the eyes; in response, Pike narrowed his own eyes.

"How experienced?" He asked.

"I've been married. I've had my fair share of 'college experimentation'. And I'm a surgeon." Bones wiggled his fingers, and Pike's brows shot up somewhere into his hairline.

Jim snickered; he liked Bones already.

Pike gave it a good minute or so of thinking, and then he nodded. "This isn't a game, McCoy." Bones flinched at his name (Pike must've known him from the paper) but he didn't say anything. "You do as I tell you, and if you can't handle it, you're out on the streets. You sure this is what you want?"

Bones nodded; Jim felt his heart sink.

"You've got a contract; I can't have you just doing as you please. This is a job and you'll treat it like one." Pike handed him a slip of paper.

Bones' eyebrow raised. "Seems pretty legit."

"We do things properly here, son." Pike said. He waited for Bones to sign it before he took a set of keys out of his desk drawer; number 23A and 23B.

"23B's your bedroom, up on the second floor. That space is yours, do what you want. 23A's your client room - you don't touch anything your client doesn't tell you to in there, understood?"

Bones nodded. Pike looked to Jim.

"You're in charge of him till he's settled." Pike instructed.

Jim sighed, and stood.

"And get him some better clothes, I need to be able to sell him." Pike said, as they left.

Jim paused. "The jeans?" He asked.

Bones raised his eyebrows, and Jim rolled his eyes. Apparently Bones was a natural at this; if those were his usual jeans he'd been selling his ass for a long time. Pike must've saw it too, because he shook his head.

"They stay."

Jim nodded, and lead Bones from the room.

~*~

Despite the jeans, Bones was not a natural at this.

He was grumpy to begin with, but after his first client - one that Jim usually tried to take if he ever had any say, because he was a rough bastard and Jim was pretty good at dealing with pain - he withdrew completely. Jim didn't see him, and nor did any of the crew.

He had another two clients the night after that; Jim saw him once, coming down to grab a sandwich before he retreated to his bedroom.

If it was possible, he looked even more tired than before.

He was quickly gaining popularity; someone must've said how good he was or something, because Pike was having to give late appointments (he tried not to fit more than five clients a night in).

Bones was quickly getting overworked, and Jim wasn't sure it was good for him.

He also wasn't sure why he cared.

"We've got a newbie?" Uhura asked, crossing her legs as she sat in the 'lounge' (it was the basement, complete with ruined sofa and tatty rug and old, knackered television set from the 80s).

Jim sighed. "Yeah."

Chekov pouted. "I haven't seen him?"

"No." Jim shook his head. "He's keeping to himself."

That made them all silent. The phrase was synonymous with: 'he's having a hard time'. It'd happened to Chekov, Sulu and Spock, surprisingly. Whilst Chekov and Sulu had found solace in each other, Spock had wiped himelf of all emotion.

Jim thought it was pretty effective, but he didn't envy him.

"You should go up and talk to him, Jim." Gaila said. "You're the only one he knows."

"I don't think he wants to talk to anyone." Jim shook his head.

Gaila rolled her eyes. "Go." She gave him a shove.

Jim shook his head. "He knew what he was getting himself into; he just needs time."

So he didn't go, and Leonard continued to sit in his room, alone.

~*~

They tried really hard to stagger appointments so that no two clients ever ran into each other. Apparently, it hadn't worked tonight.

Jim was leading a student looking to lose his virginity up the stairs to 20A when he caught sight of Bones, leading a pretty sleazy looking guy towards his room. He kept their bodies close, and a wicked smirk on his face as he directed him to the room. He allowed himself to be pushed up against the door of his room, his hand on the handle, as his client pressed their bodies together.

Jim was mesmerised; even more so when he noticed the teasing roll of Bones' hips.

He had totally forgotten about his own client as Bones directed his into the room with a husky, "This is us, sugar". He closed the door behind them, and Jim shook his head to clear it.

That fucker was a natural.

Jim suddenly remembered his own client, and he turned to grin at him. "Sorry darlin', let's get going."

And when he came, he was certainly thinking of roll of Bones' hips and that smirk on his lips.

~*~

It was after a month that Bones started losing clients.

Pike had him in his office for a "talk". When Bones left, he went straight up to his room, passing Jim and Gaila as he went.

It hurt Jim more than it should have to see the tears in his eyes.

"Poor thing." Gaila murmured. Gaila had been one of them almost as long as Jim had, so they were pretty close. "I feel so sorry for him."

"He shouldn't be here." Jim said, shaking his head. "He's a doctor. He has real potential. He's not a fuck up like-"

"The rest of us." Gaila finished for him. She knew Jim wouldn't finish it on his own.

Jim sighed.

"There's nothing you can do, Jim." Gaila laid a hand on his arm.

Jim set his jaw. "I'm gonna talk to Pike. I'm gonna help him out, put him up somewhere-"

"With what money?" Gaila raised an eyebrow.

"I'll make it work." Jim murmured.

Gaila just shook her head. "It's a bad idea, Jim." She sang, her voice an obvious warning.

Jim was already knocking on Pike's door, too far gone to listen.

~*~

Pike gave him a good damn talking to.

And then, because Jim was his favourite (or so Jim claimed) he conceded.

"He can go, but you're going to have to take on all his clients." Pike warned, as Jim grinned.

"S'alright, sir, I can take it." He said, as he left the room.

He nearly knocked Chekov over as he pushed past him and up to room 23B.

He hammered on the door, and burst in anyways. "Bones!" He grinned. "You can go!"

Bones fixed him with a long, blank look. "And where will I go, Jim? I've got no damn money, no job, no house-"

"Pike's got a friend who's a doctor. Puri. He says he's been looking for another surgeon since his other one quite and-"

"I don't know, Jim." Bones sighed.

Jim could see the conflict in his eyes.

"Why do you even care?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at Jim.

Jim pulled at the fabric of the t-shirt he wore, his eyes on the floor. He looked up at Bones, and shrugged. "You're a good person. You don't deserve this."

"You're a good person." Bones said, nodding to him.

Jim shook his head, a small smile on his face. "This is my life, Bones. I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't have to be." Bones murmured.

Jim just shrugged.

"You did me a favour, Jim, so I owe you." he said. Jim shook his head, but he wasn't done. "I'll come get you, okay?"

"This isn't a prison camp, Bones." Jim murmured.

"What did you want to be, Jim?" Bones asked. "When you were growing up?"

Jim paused. It seemed unrelated. "A mechanic." Jim answered.

Bones nodded. "If I get this job, Jim, I'll come back for you. You can be a mechanic. I promise."

Jim paused, and fought the overwhelming urge to kiss him. "I'll go tell Pike you're leaving."

He turned to go, but Bones caught his arm, causing him to spin round. "Thank you." He said.

Jim smiled. "Be safe." he told him, before he left.

~*~

Jim did not say goodbye. No one did, but Pike, who clapped him on the back. Bones had lasted all of three months; not the shortest time they'd seen, but definitely close.

It was another two months after he was gone that Jim decided to put his thoughts about Bones to rest.

He still thought about him every time he had a client, though. Imagined it was his tan skin under his hands, and his Southern drawl crooning his name.

He dreamed of him coming to get him, like he'd promised, and every morning when he came down to the 'lounge', he looked to the doorway.

But Leonard McCoy was never there.

Until, one day, he was.

Jim gawped.

He looked _good_.

His hair was neatly styled and combed out of his face, and he was clean shaven. He still wore those ungodly jeans, though.

"Bones." Jim murmured.

He shook his head. "It's Leonard now."

Jim grinned. "I prefer Bones."

He shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat."

Silence fell between them.

"You packed?" Bones asked.

Jim snored. As if he had belongings to pack.

"Well then are you ready to go?" He asked.

Jim's eyes widened. "You mean-"

Bones smiled softly.

And even though Jim said that he didn't mind his job, that he didn't mind the countless one night stands, he was still unbelievably glad to hear those words.

"Where will I stay?" Jim murmured.

"With me." Bones answered.

"What about Pike?"

"I bought you out."

"What about a job?"

"I've got a favour from a guy who works at a garage - he's going to set you up with an apprenticeship, if you want it."

"Of course I do."

Before Jim knew it, he was launching himself at Bones, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him.

Someone, he assumed it was Gaila, wolf whistled down the corridor. Jim chuckled against his lips. Bones pulled away, leaning his forehead against Jim's.

"Let's go."

And even though Jim had been sure he was cut out for this life, that he'd been taught by his step father how best to use his body from an early age, and the friends he'd had in there were the best he'd ever known, he was glad that he was out, and even more so that Bones was going with him.


End file.
